SACRED, Chelsea Theatre’s festival of live art and performance, begins again next week. The programme is as rich and diverse as ever and this year features a particular Brazilian influence.  Gustavo Ciriaco will be performing and  Brazilian dance artist Thelma Bonavita will present the  UK premiere of Eu Sou Uma Fruta Gogoia (I am a Gogoia Fruit) and Dorothy’s Shoes are staging the interactive world premiere of Flying Down To Rio, a piece that promises a ‘dancehall’ theme.

UK-based artists Martin O’Brien, Gillie Kleiman and Joseph Mercier are presenting their Threesomeon the 24th, a themed night of work (Mucus Factory, Ophelia is Not Yet Dead, and Giselle  (or I’m too Horny to be a Prince)) examining body issues.   The Live Art Development Agency are also hosting a discussion on the role of the body in performance on the 26th.

Bristol’s Action Hero will be performing their new piece Frontman on November 25th and there will be another chance to see Francesca Millican Slater’s evocative solo show inspired by an 100 year old postcard, Me, Myself and Miss Gibbs on the 26th. 

In the run up to the festival, Brian Lobel will be creating a postal performance, Or Else Your Friends Will Have To; subtitled ‘a performance for you and your music collection’ the piece was inspired by Lobel’s experience of creating a mix tape for a friend’s funeral and is intended to explore the rituals of mourning and memory. The season will close with Othon & Tomasini’s Impermanence, a “sonic sensual mix of death baroque and 50s pop” featuring guest artists including Marc Almond, returning to the stage after making his theatre debut in Mark Ravenhill’s song cycle Ten Plagues during this year’s Edinburgh Fringe.

Curated by Francis Alexander, SACRED is no longer just a single season but will encompass events throughout the year.

SACRED runs from the 24th to the 28th November 2011. For tickets and further information, visit the Chelsea Theatre website.